Essential Britain

Essential Britain

Travel Bridge

Stonehenge

On this Essential Britain tour you’ll experience some of Britain’s most fascinating towns as you travel through England, Wales, and Scotland stopping for overnights in London, Plymouth, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, Inverness, Edinburgh, and York. Plus, part of the charm of traveling through Britain is seeing the marvelous scenery. Enjoy the best weather of the year with average highs of 66 to 73 degrees. You’ll cruise on Plymouth Sound, one of the world’s great natural harbors; take a photo at breathtaking Land’s End, England’s most southwesterly point; drive through Brecon Beacons National Park, with its dramatic landscapes; explore England’s tranquil Lake District, England’s largest and finest natural park; visit the Isle of Skye, with some of Scotland’s best scenery; and trace the shores of Loch Ness.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in London, England

Welcome to London! Uniformed Globus Hosts will be waiting to welcome you. After checking into your hotel and an afternoon at leisure, we recommend our optional Taste of London excursion with dinner, followed by a guided illumination cruise on the Thames River.

Day 2: London–Stonehenge–Plymouth

Meet your Tour Director and traveling companions, and depart London at 8 am. First, try to unravel the mystery of prehistoric STONEHENGE; explore the stunning visitor center with its imaginative exhibitions, then take the shuttle to the stone circle and admire the magnificence of the monument up close. Continue on through Thomas Hardy’s Wessex, and head to Plymouth, where you follow in the footsteps of Drake, Raleigh, and the Pilgrim Fathers with a CRUISE on Plymouth Sound, one of the world’s great natural harbors. You will also have time at the historic Barbican to see the Mayflower Steps. Tonight, enjoy a welcome dinner with wine at your hotel.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 3: Plymouth. Cornwall Excursion

A day full of West Country sights as you head through Daphne du Maurier’s Cornwall, where you will be treated to an authentic CORNISH PASTY. After viewing St. Michael’s Mount, take photos at Land’s End before exploring the popular seaside resort of St. Ives. Back in Plymouth, why not join an optional excursion into Dartmoor National Park for an evening of storytelling at a local pub?

Breakfast

Day 4: Plymouth–Glastonbury–Bath–Cardiff, Wales

At Glastonbury, hear about its associations with King Arthur, and in elegant Bath, see the amazing excavations of the ROMAN BATHS with time to explore further on your own. Stay the night in Cardiff, the Welsh capital. You might want to join an evening of Welsh entertainment and dinner tonight.

Breakfast

Day 5: Cardiff–Builth Wells–Chester, England–Liverpool

Your journey through Wales takes you north along the Taff Valley and Brecon Beacons National Park, and via the ancient market town of Builth Wells to Chester. On your walking tour, see the Roman remains, the characteristic black and white half-timbered buildings, and the famous two-tiered arcades called the “Rows.” Spend the night in Liverpool; you may wish to join an optional city tour this evening.

Breakfast

Day 6: Liverpool–Grasmere–Gretna Green, Scotland–Glasgow

Start the day with a visit to the award-winning BEATLES STORY, an atmospheric journey into the life, times, culture, and music of the “Fab Four.” Later, focus on the tranquil Lake District, considered to be the finest of England’s national parks. Take a break in Wordsworth’s beloved Grasmere and try original GRASMERE GINGERBREAD. Then, head north for the Scottish border and stop at Gretna Green, where the blacksmith used to wed runaway couples, and take part in a WEDDING RE-ENACTMENT. Overnight in Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 7: Glasgow–Isle of Skye–Inverness

Follow the “Bonnie Banks” of Loch Lomond, then proceed via Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, Fort William, and the “Road to the Isles.” At Mallaig, board your FERRY for the crossing to the Isle of Skye, the largest island of the Inner Hebrides and famous for its dramatic landscapes. Return to the mainland and trace the shores of Loch Ness on the way to the Highland capital.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 8: Inverness–Braemar–St. Andrews–Edinburgh

Main features today: the battlefield of Culloden Moor; Braemar, home of the Royal Highland Games; St. Andrews; and over the elegant Forth Road Bridge to Edinburgh. Tonight, an optional Scottish evening with Highland dancers, bagpipers, and the Ceremony of the Haggis. For departures July 30 through August 20, tickets are included for tonight’s performance of the world-renowned MILITARY TATTOO.

Breakfast

Day 9: Edinburgh

Morning city sightseeing with a Local Guide introduces you to the 200-year-old “New Town” and famous scientists, inventors, and novelists who lived there. In the “Old Town,” drive up the narrow Royal Mile to EDINBURGH CASTLE to admire Scotland’s Crown Jewels, then explore HOLYROOD PALACE (when available). Later, a unique optional excursion: board the former Royal Yacht Britannia once the perfect royal residence for glittering state visits and family holidays. Dinner rounds off this optional evening.

Breakfast

Day 10: Edinburgh–Alnwick, England–York

This morning at ALNWICK CASTLE the choice is yours: visit the CASTLE itself, the opulent ancestral home of the Duke and Duchess of Northumberland, or explore ALNWICK GARDEN, where the fountains and waterfalls are a breathtaking feature. Next, make your way to York, England’s most complete medieval city. Here, stand in front of the great structure of the Minster, then follow your Tour Director through a maze of quaint streets, including the narrow Shambles.

Breakfast

Dinner

Day 11: York–Stratford-Upon-Avon–London

On the last leg of your journey, stop at Stratford-upon-Avon to take pictures of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage and visit SHAKESPEARE’S BIRTHPLACE. On return to London at about 3:30 pm, a Shownight Theater Evening would be an incredible finale to your vacation.